Good questions to ask your dentist before you commit to treatment.

Getting dental treatment can be a daunting experience. The anxiety about the treatment, the fees, it can all become overwhelming. There are some questions you can ask your dentist to make sure you're in good hands though. I'll share a few below:

Can you talk me through the X-rays and clinical photos?

Any ethical dentist will welcome the opportunity to educate a patient. Transparency about treatment choices is a great sign your dentist is providing reasonable dentistry.

Is this your practice, or are you an employee/contractor?

Many dentists are employees or contractors. The average employee/contractor dentist will stay in one location for approximately 2 years. The odds are you will need the treatment they do in your mouth to last MUCH longer than that. So ask what the practice policy is should the employee/contractor dentist leave.

Does this clinic use any financial KPIs?

One of the modern scourges of dentistry is the use of financial incentives and KPIs. These are particularly prevalent in corporate practices. Understanding the nature of hidden incentives is important when making decisions about your health.

What's your policy on failed treatments?

Dental treatment fails, and sometimes it does so spectacularly. So understanding your dentists policy on failed treatment before the fact is important. You want to make sure that the dentist has formal or "goodwill" policy in place to manage failed treatment.

Is there risk of Specialist Referral, and what then?

Complex treatment plans sometimes need specialists to get involved. An early conversation about what sort of specialist may be needed is one worthwhile. Fees and waiting times can increase significantly with specialist involvement.

Please feel free to comment with specific questions below, or email help@cotreat.com.au